Arch Manning enters Texas’ 2026 season with the kind of attention that follows a famous name, but USA Today’s latest quarterback ranking still managed to throw a cold splash of water on the hype.
The outlet put the Texas starter at No. 5 on its list of college football’s top quarterbacks, a placement that has already sparked plenty of pushback. Manning is set to take over as the full-time starter in Austin after spending last year behind Quinn Ewers, and plenty of people expected him to land much closer to the top of any preseason board. Instead, USA Today slotted him behind four other quarterbacks and treated him like a strong option rather than one of the sport’s clear headliners.
The four players ahead of him are Dante Moore of Oregon, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, CJ Carr of Notre Dame and Trinidad Chambliss. That group pushes Manning down a notch that many around the sport clearly see as too low, especially with Texas returning talent at every skill position and bringing back one of the stronger offensive lines in the SEC.
There’s also the simple matter of Manning’s upside. The ranking seems to downplay both his physical tools and the help around him, which is why the No. 5 spot has been read by many as an undervaluation.
Manning carries one of the most recognizable names in football, and that kind of pedigree tends to come with sky-high expectations. USA Today took a more measured route.
Not everyone sees him that way, though. The Athletic’s early 2027 NFL Draft rankings paint a very different picture, putting Manning at the top of that board.
“I won’t bury the lede. If the 2027 NFL Draft were held tomorrow, Arch Manning would be the No. 1 pick - not because of his last name or lineage, but because of the promise of his traits and tape,” Dane Bruggler wrote on Aug.
That draft view stands in sharp contrast to the current college quarterback ranking. Oregon’s Dante Moore is behind Manning on The Athletic’s draft board despite posting stronger numbers last season, completing passes at a higher rate and throwing for more yards and touchdowns. Moore was described as the more polished pure passer, while Manning still got the higher grade because of his upside and physical traits.
That’s the real split here: one major outlet has Manning fifth among current college quarterbacks, while another has him as the best quarterback prospect in the 2027 draft class. The divide says plenty about how evaluators still see him.
Texas opens the season with championship expectations, and Manning now has a little extra fuel attached to that debut. A fast start would make USA Today’s ranking look shaky in a hurry. A sluggish one would only make the skepticism louder.
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